Title:           House of Horses (Part 6)
Author:          InstantCoffee
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/QAgLBrQF
First Edit:      Tuesday 25th of November 2014 09:29:27 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Sunday 13th of March 2016 03:04:07 AM CDT

>"I'm honored that you would think of me worthy to take your place, Your Highness."
"Don't be. Of all the possible candidates, I believe you to be the most qualified for Head Chair."
>You are Anonymous, and right now you're having a rather important discussion with Iceberg, as he's called. His real name is unknown since his nickname simply stuck, but he doesn't seem to mind. He even takes pride in it. Others call him Iceberg because he's originally from the Frozen North, a land well known for its snow and well guarded, hidden banks. The rich usually store a good portion of their wealth for tax evasion purposes. Do you have money there as well? No. Money doesn't interest you, much less hoarding it. If they have to take most of your income from you to keep your position, so be it.
>"And why is that, may I ask?"
"You have influence, experience, energy, and most importantly, you know how to get something done. Banking has taught you to minimize loss and maximize gain for both the short term and the long."
>"I'm flattered, Your Highness."
"So do you accept the position?"
>"Well, I'd be a fool to say no, wouldn't I?" he says with a short laugh. "I accept."
"Very good, Mr. Iceberg. I'll have everything arranged as soon as I can."
>The colt rises from his seat and takes a bow.
>"The wife and kids are going to be very happy to hear this."
"I'm sure they will be very proud."
>Iceberg heads to the door, but at the last second turns around.
>"Just to be clear, by accepting this position I still do not owe you anything, Your Highness. I'm grateful, but I prefer that no strings be attached so that I can do my duties to the best of my abilities."
>You smile in response. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Iceberg.
"Of course. My only concern is that the Court is under capable leadership. Nothing more."
>He leaves the room, and shortly after Finch enters.
>"I take it he said yes?"
"That he did."
>"A banker of all things? Quite the bold move."
"Well," you say as you take a sip of your drink. "As they say, never trust a banker with your life and even less so with your wallet. But he's still young and idealistic, not yet completely corrupted by being surrounded by money all the time, at least for now. And whether he likes it or not, that colt now owes me favors."
>"You think he'll cooperate?"
"Let us hope so. Everyone else in the Court has been in the game for too long to not have ulterior motives. Iceberg may have some of his own, but he's too short-sighted for his ambitions to be of any real issue. You have the draft of the bill ready?"
>"Got it right here."
"Good. And the appointments?"
>"All confirmed."
"Thank you, Finch."
>"Anything for the Prince of Canterlot."
"Anything?"
>Finch gives you a wink.
>"Don't push your luck."
>You sigh as you lean back in your couch.
"What a shame. I was going to ask you to take the rest of the day off."
>"W-wait, really?"
"Not really."
>"You're a riot, Anon."
 
>When it comes to laws regarding the Court, the Throne cannot just simply declare one at will. It's a way to prevent the Throne from having too much power and rendering the Court nonexistent with the swipe of a quill. Instead, such laws have to be passed by vote in the Court. One might think that it's a bad idea to have the Court possess the ability to maintain themselves, but since all proposed bills and votes cast are made open to public scrutiny, the members usually do not end up giving themselves too many privileges, or at least in an obvious manner. It's a flawed system, but nothing in life is perfect.
>The bill you and Finch created is one of these proposed laws. On the surface, it seems like a way to make all past and future royal budgets more transparent. However, in the fine print, hardly noticeable unless one is intentionally searching for it, there's a passage authorizing the release of the royal cake budget. And if you're right, the citizens won't be too pleased with how the Princesses are using the kingdom's funds for their own indulgences. As a Prince, you're also given a portion of the royal cake budget, but because of your unexpected coronation, your name won't be on it until the next budget is drafted.
>You're sitting across from the head of the Military Department as he's reading over your bill.
>After finishing it, he puts the papers down and takes off his reading glasses.
>"I don't know, Your Highness," he says. "It looks as if this bill is stripping us bare for all to see."
>You try not to let that image enter your head.
"It's not that much of a change, Mr. Ironshield. All the bill dictates is that in addition to having the major budget allocations be open to the public, which they already are, it also reveals the source of the money being sent to each division. The public wants to known how much of their taxes are going to the right places."
>"But with all due respect, the uninformed public is incapable of making those judgments for themselves. They're prone to hasty conclusions and we're going take the blame for what they don't understand."
"The specific allocations each department makes with their given funds remain confidential with this bill. All it reveals is where all the money that goes into the royal budget comes from."
>Ironshield rubs his temples with his hooves and sighs.
>"I'll need time to think about this, Your Highness."
>You've expected resistance. It'd be atypical for a public figure to have his clothes willingly taken off. But the question is how much are they willing to accept in compensation before they rip off their pants and hand them to you without hesitation?
"Your military facilities are getting outdated, correct?"
>He leans back in his chair.
>"That's right. Our funds have been gradually reduced due to how peaceful everything's been as of late. Our buildings are no longer being maintained like they used to and our R&D has had to face layoffs."
>That's your bargaining chip.
"What if...I were to have sufficient funds sent to your department in order to repair those facilities and rehire everyone from your R&D and more?"
>He scoffs.
>"Canterlot's not as rich as it used to be, Your Highness. Where is that money going to come from?"
"I think I can find a way, Mr. Ironshield. I'll pay out of my own pocket if I have to."
>He raises an eyebrow.
>"You'd do that for me?"
"I only want to see this kingdom become great again. And if we all work together, I think that can happen."
>His face remains stoic, but his eyes betray his true feelings. Internally, he's probably jumping for joy as if he's a child on Christmas morning.
>"I admit it does sound reasonable, Your Highness. But I'll need time to think about it."
"Of course," you say as you get up to leave. "If you have any other concerns, you know where to find me."
>As you exit the room and shut the door, Finch comes up to you.
>"How did it go?"
"It's not official, but knowing him, he's going to say yes. Who's next?"
>"Next is the head of the Public Utilities Department in ten minutes..."
 
>You're starting to get used to this routine. Meet the head of one of the Departments and have them read the bill. Chances are they'll reject it right away, upon which you make an offer that will change their minds. As a Prince, you have plenty to offer, and that makes your life a little bit easier. However, some of these heads can be rather stubborn, and they're rather hesitant about working with someone who's been on the Throne for such a short period of time. Half are no's, and the other half yes's, and you need a majority for this bill to pass.
>Right now you're at your last appointment, speaking with the new head of the Education Department, Mr. Inkwell. Unlike his predecessor, he's new to this game of politics, meaning that for now he's a wildcard. How convenient.
>He reads the bill and sets it down, trying to find the words to say.
>"The bill looks promising, but it looks like there's a lot of potential problems it could create."
"Well, it's only a draft. What are your concerns?"
>"Publishing the sources may seem to be an act of good faith to our citizens, but the more they can see how the money's flowing, the more worried we'll have to be about dividing up funds under their criticism."
>That's the complaint almost everyone else had. No surprise there.
"Well, if the allocations are fair, then there's nothing much to worry about."
>"But why change it? The system's been working pretty well so far."
"And it can work even better."
>"I mean no offense, but we should be putting our focus on more important things. There are fillies who don't have access to a basic education. There are universities that are heavily understaffed. Why spend time on a bill like this when there's bigger fish to catch, Your Highness?"
>He's bold, you will give him that. But boldness can also be a sign of stupidity.
"Tell you what, if you support this bill, then I would be more than willing to help your schools get the funding and staff it needs. Return the favor, so to speak."
>Inkwell hesitates.
>"But then I wouldn't be supporting the bill just for the bill. I'd be supporting it for something else, and that feels wrong. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it the right way. The moral way."
>The moral way? Where exactly does he think he is? The local nunnery?
"With enough time, you'll be able to catch the big fish, Mr. Inkwell. I can assure you that. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the smaller ones in between. The public has a right to know how their money is being utilized."
>Inkwell grimaces.
>"I'm still unsure, Your Highness."
>Time to be a little more assertive. A newborn pup sometimes needs a stern smack to the head to remind him that he's not the top of the pack.
"Mr. Inkwell, listen to me," you say as you rise from your seat, putting your hands on either side of his desk and leaning over him. "I respect you, and I understand that you have admirable ambitions for the future. It wouldn't surprise me if you eventually came to see those goals come to fruition. But..."
>You say that last word menacingly.
"It's foolish to think that you can achieve those things if you put barriers in your way instead of looking for opportunities to give yourself the push you so desperately need."
>Sweat starts to bead on his forehead, his breath quickening.
"I can be a powerful ally, or I can be your worst enemy. But go ahead, tell everyone I threatened you, but who'll the citizens side with? Someone who's trying to hide the money in his wallet or someone who's trying to open the vaults, including his own, for everyone to see?"
>You rise from his desk and walk to the doors. However, right before you grab the handle, you turn back to see a visibly distraught Inkwell.
"Oh, and Mr. Inkwell? Welcome to the Court."
>He doesn't respond as you leave, shutting the door firmly behind you. As soon as you're gone, he exhales sharply, clutching his heaving chest.
 
>"Judging from the number of heads who came in to say yes, it looks like this bill's going to pass," Finch chirps as she counts the tallies on the board. "But just barely, only by one vote."
"And the voting is when?"
>"Should be starting any minute now."
"Very good."
>"You think the Princesses will intervene?"
"Unlikely. If they do something now, it'll look too obvious that they're trying to hide something. It's better for them to just reveal the cake budget and do damage control afterwards than have everyone wildly speculate about the skeletons in their closet. It's the lesser of two evils."
>"You do realize that once you do this, the Princesses will definitely suspect that you're against them."
"To be honest, they probably thought that all along," you reply as you fold your arms. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. You can't foil someone who's ruled for thousands of years without her noticing the smell of an incoming attack, no matter how subtle."
>"Perhaps..."
>Her eyes fall.
"What's the matter?"
>"It's nothing. Just that...it finally hit me that we're trying to dethrone two of the most powerful beings in this world."
"I do admit that such responsibilities are not written within your contract."
>She doesn't respond.
"But yes, thinking about it can be very overwhelming at times."
>You sit down on a couch, and she joins you.
>"Does it bother you?"
"...sometimes, yes."
>Subconsciously, you begin to stroke her mane. She doesn't protest.
"I don't really know what their play is, and I have to be prepared for anything they might throw at us."
>Finch doesn't say anything, instead staring into empty space.
"But we can handle this. We've pulled through before, and we can do it again."
>"I know," she almost whispers.
>Silence.
>"We've almost made it to the top, and we did some really messed up things to get there. But I'm fine with that. It's partly why I stayed on board. But now..."
>Finch takes deep breath.
>"I'm...worried, Anon."
"Fear is natural. It tells us where to look, but worrying alone won't get anything done. There's no going back now. Not after everything we've done. The only thing we can do it keep our eyes forward and keep marching on. We chose this path, and we're going to see it to the end."
>She looks up at you, her expression still containing traces of concern, but this time there's determination in her eyes.
>A knock at your entrance breaks the moment. Finch gets off the couch and answers the door, receiving a letter.
>"The results are in," she says matter-of-factly, opening the letter and reading it.
"So? Did we win?"
>No answer.
"Finch? Did we win or not?"
>She rereads the letter, her brow furrowing, her eyes frantically looking around the letter, almost as if searching for something hidden on it.
>"The...the bill didn't pass. It failed by one vote."
>You can only stare at the letter in her hooves as it hits you. Neither one of you speak for several seconds. If she's joking, she'd have said so it by now.
"Get me the specific details," you say through clenched teeth. "I want to know who lied."